Recovery Treatment Team
About the Program
The RECOVERY TREATMENT TEAM (RTT) helps individuals who are actively working toward recovery from addictions and mental health challenges to access and maintain permanent housing. Individuals will have a history of chronic or episodic homelessness potentially with concurrent mental health challenges and trauma.
Housing support begins as early as possible in an individual’s recovery journey, for example, while in detoxification or treatment programs. Team support is guided by George Spady Society person-centered, recovery focused and trauma informed values.
The Housing First approach prioritizes stable housing as the primary need, with other issues addressed subsequently. Efforts focus on housing participants in their preferred Edmonton community. Working within this model, the Recovery Treatment Team assists participants in building resources, maintaining housing, and fostering recovery. By linking participants to local services, the team facilitates community integration and supports their recovery journey.
Referrals and Admission
Stage 1: Intake and Assessment
Referrals are made through Homeward Trust’s Coordinated Access department. The GSS Housing Outreach Worker conducts an intake interview to determine program fit, noting that GSS does not work with families. Additionally, the worker verifies income or assists individuals in accessing support from Alberta Works.
Stage 2: Action, Interventions and Goal Setting
Getting housed through RTT involves assisting participants in securing safe, sustainable housing, ideally located near their natural or professional supports.
To ease the stresses of transitioning into a new home, participants are provided with basic housing resources and support, including a temporary rental subsidy, first-year tenant insurance, assistance with utility hookups, furnishings, and groceries, as well as information on leasing, tenancy rights, and responsibilities.
Participants also receive coaching on managing guests to help them maintain a stable living environment.
Stage 3: Follow Up and Monitoring
RTT programming ensures participants have the support they need for long-term success after securing housing. The Housing Support Worker facilitates a warm transfer to a Follow-up Support Worker, who provides up to 12 months of tailored assistance.
Support is guided by SMART goals and may include recovery resources for addiction management, financial literacy and budgeting, assistance with obtaining IDs and setting up bank accounts, physical and mental health support, spiritual or cultural connections, and access to the GSS Clinical Access Team for addressing complex mental health, physical health, or substance use issues.
Stage 4: Exit
Participants graduate from the program once they have achieved housing stability and established connections to appropriate supports to sustain their recovery.
Contact the Recovery Treatment Team
Manager — Recovery Treatment Team
Joanita Udinyiwe
780-866-3041
joanitau@gspady.ab.ca